my JButtons won't show up

[gib65]

Hello,

Please have a look at this screen capture of a JFrame I'm programming:



You'll notice that there are no buttons on the right hand side. This is a problem. I'm trying to create a JPanel to the right of the maze you see in the middle with two buttons in it, and nothing's showing up.

Here's the code for the JFrame (I have added /* */ comments for your convenience - i.e. at the relevant lines of code):

package framecomponents;

import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JPanel;

import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.GridBagLayout;
import java.awt.GridBagConstraints;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.Container;

public class MazeManiaFrame extends JFrame {

    // panels
    private GamePanel   gamePanel  = null;
    private EastPanel	eastPanel  = null;
    private SouthPanel  southPanel = null;

/************************** CONSTRUCTOR **************************/

    public MazeManiaFrame() {

	// setup frame properties
	setTitle("Maze Mania");
	setSize(800, 800);
	setLocation(200, 50);
	setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

	Container container = getContentPane();
	container.setLayout(new GridBagLayout());

	// create gamePanel
	gamePanel = new GamePanel();              /* maze you see in the middle */
	gamePanel.setBackground(Color.WHITE);

	// create JPanel on each side of GamePanel
	JPanel NWPanel    = new JPanel();
	JPanel NorthPanel = new JPanel();
	JPanel NEPanel    = new JPanel();
	eastPanel  	  = new EastPanel();  /* creation of EastPanel */
	JPanel SEPanel    = new JPanel();
	southPanel 	  = new SouthPanel(); /* creation of SouthPanel */
	JPanel SWPanel    = new JPanel();
	JPanel WestPanel  = new JPanel();

             /* East and South panels set their own preferred size in their constructors */

	// set their preferred size
	NWPanel.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(50, 50));
	NorthPanel.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(400, 50));
	NEPanel.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(50, 50));
	SEPanel.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(50, 50));
	SWPanel.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(50, 50));
	WestPanel.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(50, 400));

	// add panels to main container with constraints
	GridBagConstraints constraints = new GridBagConstraints();
	constraints.gridx = 0;
	constraints.gridy = 0;
	container.add(NWPanel, constraints);
	constraints.gridx = 1;
	container.add(NorthPanel, constraints);
	constraints.gridx = 2;
	container.add(NEPanel, constraints);
	constraints.gridy = 1;
	container.add(eastPanel, constraints);  /* add eastPanel */
	constraints.gridy = 2;
	container.add(SEPanel, constraints);
	constraints.gridx = 1;
	container.add(southPanel, constraints); /* add southPanel */
	constraints.gridx = 0;
	container.add(SWPanel, constraints);
	constraints.gridy = 1;
	container.add(WestPanel, constraints);
	constraints.gridx = 1;
	container.add(gamePanel, constraints);

	pack();
    }

/************************** END CONSTRUCTOR **************************/


/************************** ACCESSORS **************************/

/*** GET ***/

    // get panels
    public GamePanel  getGamePanel()  {return gamePanel;}
    public SouthPanel getSouthPanel() {return southPanel;} 
    public EastPanel  getEastPanel()  {return eastPanel;} 

    // get panel components
    public ClockLabel getClockLabel() {return southPanel.getClockLabel();}

/************************** END ACCESSORS **************************/

}

And here's the code for EastPanel:

package framecomponents;

import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JButton;

import java.awt.GridBagLayout;
import java.awt.GridBagConstraints;

public class EastPanel extends JPanel {

    public EastPanel() {

	setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
	setPreferredSize(new Dimension(200, 400));

	JButton button1 = new JButton("button 1");
	button1.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(150, 30));

	JButton button2 = new JButton("button 2");
	button2.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(150, 30));

	GridBagConstraints constraints = new GridBagConstraints();
	constraints.gridx = 0;
	constraints.gridy = 0;
	add(button1, constraints);
	constraints.gridy = 1;
	add(button2, constraints);
    }
}

The strange thing is I programmed EastPanel exactly as I did SouthPanel, yet southPanel shows up (with the clock below the maze), but the eastPanel doesn't (at least the buttons aren't showing).

Actually, there is one subtle difference between EastPanel and SouthPanel. SouthPanel has these lines of code:

	constraints.weightx = 1;
	constraints.anchor = GridBagConstraints.LINE_START;

before adding the clock JLabel. But I tried this. I tried doing this before adding the buttons, and it didn't make a difference.

Can anyone see what I'm doing wrong?

[Fubarable]

This is the ideal situation for your creating and posting an SSCCE. Do this and you'll likely get a helpful answer quickly. Much luck!

[gib65]

Okay, I attached a SSCCE. However, I was not able to reproduce the problem. The buttons show up fine in the SSCCE. So I still don't know where the problem lies.

[Fubarable]

Okay, I attached a SSCCE. However, I was not able to reproduce the problem. The buttons show up fine in the SSCCE. So I still don't know where the problem lies.

Shoot.

Then we'll probably not know either. You might want to try to start with a copy of your application and bit by bit simplify it until the problem goes away, and the last step deleted may be the problem step. (or post your entire app here... yikes).

Luck!

[gib65]

No need. I solved the problem.

I erased all the class files in the framecomponents package folder (where MazeManiaFrame, EastPanel, SouthPanel, and a few other frame related files are) and tried to recompile.

Usually, when I compile I type "javac *.java" and it works.

This time is didn't for some reason. No class files appeared in the framecomponents folder (even though compiling reported no errors).

I had to go "javac framecomponents/*.java".

Why would this be?

Not only this, but it seems like any change I now make to a file in framecomponents requires the same thing when compiling: javac framecomponents/*.java.

I just recently split my files up into packages and folders for those packages. Is there something more complicated I need to know about compiling with packages?